1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical aspirators for use in a surgical procedure performed by a medical doctor to remove fat from beneath a patient's skin.
2. Prior Art
Currently, a number of aspirator devices have been developed for use in surgical procedures for removing fatty tissue from beneath a patient's skin. Such devices, like the present invention, have been exclusively manufactured and sold to medical practitioners who, within the confines of the hospital or their office, perform this procedure on patients. Such procedure requires insertion of a cannula or a wand-type suction device beneath the patient's skin and pulling the fatty material therethrough with a vacuum. In such procedure the fatty tissue and liquids are passed through the cannula and connected line or hoses and are deposited in a vessel for disposal. Such aspirator, to be effective, needs to have a capability of generating a strong vacuum to one (1) atmosphere. Also, of course, as the device is used in a medical procedure, the components that are for insertion into or may come in contact with the patient's body must be capable of being sterilized or replaced after use.
While such aspirator devices as set out above are not new, prior to the present invention they have been generally large, bulky and unwieldy and are not truly portable as is the present invention. Typical of such earlier aspirators, several aspirator devices are presently offered by Dean Medical Instruments, Inc., that are identified as models 500 and 500-2. These units, similar to the present invention, provide a capability for varying a produced vacuum to nearly one (1) atmosphere and use multiple vessels for receiving and collecting the fatty materials from the patient, and even involve assorted sizes and configurations of suction wands or cannula for use with the device. The Dean Medical line of aspirators, however, does not provide a unit that is easily portable, nor does it involve a versatile handle structure that can be used to drag or carry the device. Also, none of the Dean Medical devices provide a bottle or vessel arrangement and caddy or carrier therefore that is like the arrangement taught by the present invention.
Similar to the Dean Medical line of aspirators, an aspirator manufactured by Berkeley Medivices, Inc. known as a SYNEVAC.TM. GP SYSTEM 5 will provide nearly one (1) atmosphere of vacuum and is a caster-mounted unit. This SYNEVAC.TM. GR SYSTEM 5 is not intended to be portable and does not involve a structure like that of the present invention. Nor does it employ two (2) identical bottles or vessels. The vessels it utilizes are maintained in individual mounts on the unit rather than in a bottle tray or caddy that can easily be installed to and removed from nesting engagement on a housing of the invention.
Additionally, an aspirator device manufactured by Wells Johnson Company, identified as Aspirator II, like the above-cited aspirators are caster mounted and include two (2) suction vessels for collecting fatty tissue and liquids that are shown as different size bottles. This Wells Aspirator II is like the earlier cited aspirators in that it is not intended to be portable as is the present invention. Nor does it involve a bottle or vessel carrier or caddy like that of the present invention.
Another earlier aspirator device that has been sold in France is manufactured by Laboratoires Sebbin of Suresnes, France and is identified as Lipo-Sebbin. This device, like the present invention, also employs two (2) vessels of equal size, can be operated from a remote foot pedal and is caster mounted. This device, like the above discussed aspirators, however, does not employ a removable vessel or bottle carrier or caddy nor does it include a handle structure like that of the present invention for alternatively carrying or dragging the device.